Home
by stillflyforajedi
Summary: -THE FEAR, THE ANGER, THE HATE.- Plagued by the memories of the boy she couldn't save, Sabine has been twisted into emotion turmoil as her life changes around her, she wishes nothing more then to apologize, and wish she had bravery that day. But at the meeting of a man, twisted and cruel by the Empires fist, is the phantom boy really a memory?
1. THE FEAR, THE ANGER, THE HATE

**[CHAPTER ONE;THE FEAR, THE ANGER, THE HATE]**

The Fear. The Anger. The Hate.

It was like nothing he had ever experienced, while to Kanan, it wasn't the first time. His master, while shy about the subject, had explained that after the incident with the Inquisior and the giant 'Rylok', as they seemed to be called, he had channelled his fear for Kanan's life and his anger to the Inquisitor through the force and took control of the monster. Despite being the one to use the Dark Side, his brisk moments were blank to mind. The only thing he could remember was wanting to help Kanan, and a numbing feeling of cold.

"Oh no..." He heard Kanan, who stood behind him, gasp. Through the pregnant silence, Ezra had caught the sound of hard, strict footsteps. Followed by the buzz of a lightsaber.

Twisting himself towards the source of the sound, the padawan felt himself freeze in fear at the sight of the figure. Dressing in a ebony cloak and thick helmet, the man didn't appear human. He towered over Kanan, his lightsaber emitted a deep scarlet.

"Ezra." Kanan whispered back to him. "Stay behind me."

The order followed by the buzz of Kanan's lightsaber, his blue blade seemed inferior to the menacing figures red. Ezra shook the thought, instead summoning his own lightsaber, holding it weakly in front of himself. This guy was obviously not just another Inquisitor.

Kanan charged before he could protest, his attack easily blocked by the figure, who threw his blade back at Kanan. He only defended the attack, but was push with bent knees by the sith, who didn't even see the effort to hold his hilt with both hands. Kanan charged again, only for the figure to dodge his lightsaber and grab his wrist, forcing his defences to lower. Ezra understood that Kanan had only been a padawan when Order 66 had been carried out, but even a fully trained Jedi would seem to have difficulty with the sith. Without a sound, the figure threw Kanan back, knocking him near unconscious. The sith then turned to Ezra.

Fury bubbled in him. Gritting his teeth, Ezra charged at the sith, only to been thrown back against the wall with the force like a doll. He winched, his body felt tense and stiff. He felt helpless.

"Your master has deceived you..." The figure spoke in a deep, thundering voice. He flicked his fingers slightly, causing Ezra's arm to move up. No matter how hard he tried to resist, he could stop the man from raised his own lightsaber to his throat. "-Into thinking you can become a jedi."

Ezra gave the man his darkest glare, his breathing was deep and raspy. "No..."

"Yes. The jedi are gone, struck down due to their own foolishness. Your master wishes you to follow such a doomed path. But, the Emperor has sensed your potential and wishes to speak with you."

Ezra growled. "Tell him that I'll speak with him when Mustafar freezes over!"

The man hummed, twisting his hand down. Ezra gasped as his lightsaber was lowered, but the sith's force grip was not released. "I sense...pain, anger, hate inside of you. A great power that if trained properly, could be quite useful."

"Didn't you hear from the Inquisitor? I'll never join the Empire!"

The man nodded. "Yes. Due to the loss of your parents...Mira and Ephraim Bridger."

"W-what...?" Ezra gasped.

"Indeed. To be frank, I am not surprised of your strong will. Your mother was quite the same." The figure said, lowering Ezra to the ground. He lowered his lightsaber as well. "Your mother lasted for quite some time, even longer then your father. But, in the end, she was not going to last."

Ezra shook his head. "N-no...Your lying!"

"Am I? Well, I hope it pleases you to know that your name was her last breath." The man stepped forward. "It seems that you were still her little 'Ezzy' until the end."

"No..." Ezra muttered, his face lowered to the ground. His eyes began to mist with tears, his hands clumped in fists as he glared at the sith. "You...killed them!"

Ezra raised his lightsaber in front of him, his face was red and damp from tears. He gritted his teeth, his eyes burnt with hatred at the sith. "Y-you..." He growled.

The sith shoved his lightsaber back into his cloak, hiding it from view as he pointed his hand at the Kanan, who was fighting to stay conscious, while mending the wound bleeding down his temple. "E-ezra...run."

"Your master..." The sith began, flexing his palm. A light groan echoed over Kanan, followed by an old slab of metal, rising from the ground and over the jedi. The shadow of the metal almost hid Kanan fully from view. "Is weak. Unworthy for such potential and untrained. But, I sense a strong bond between you. So, boy...do you believe you can save him?"

Ezra gasped, noticing the sith's fading grip on the metal. The metal groaned, losing altitude. "No! Leave him alone!" Through instinct, he lashed his own hand out, similar to the sith. He gritted his teeth, the power used to keep the metal slab at a reasonable height was severely taking its toll on the padawan.

The sith gave less of his concentration on holding the metal, straining Ezra even more. "Such potential."

"I-I'll never...never join..." Ezra winched, sweat dripped down his brow at the weight of the metal. "I'll never join you."

The sith shook his head. "By following the light, you will condemn your master to death. Is that what you want?"

"No...I can't-"

"Then use your rage." The man snarled, loosening almost all his grip on the metal, causing Ezra to cry out in pain, redness crept up his cheeks and neck. "Let you fear power you, save your master...or do you wish to lose this family as well?"

"I...ah!" Ezra growled, his body shook as he panted for breath.

"You could save all of those you love, with the dark side. Do you not want that, Orphan?" The figure lowered his hand, almost sending the metal crashing onto Kanan, only for it to barely miss the jedi. Twisting his head to Ezra, the sith gave him a unseen, malicious grin. The padawan's body shook with anger, he panted through gritted teeth, his hair swished gently in an invisible wind. With a flick of his wrist, Ezra flung the metal towards the sith, who caught it with the force and threw it away. Small pebbles and the sort began to rise above the dust, the others of the Ghost crew could only stare in fear for both Ezra and Kanan. Seeing her chance, Hera rushed over to Kanan's limp form, slinging his arm over her shoulder as she hobbled back to the Ghost.

Zeb snatched Kanan's other arm, supporting the jedi as the stared at Ezra. With hazed vision, Kanan whimpered at the sight of his padawan. "E-ezra..." Damp hairs clung to Kanan's forehead, his legs unable to hold him up without the Lasat's support. "-No..."

Ezra panted for breath, his whole body burnt from strain but he still held his gaze of pure hatred, ignoring his fear, towards the sith. Hearing the sound of his masters call, Ezra tore his eyes away from the Sith, only for his hatred to dissolve at the look in his masters eyes. Kanan shook his head, his body felt numb at the anger, the hate and rage that consumed the boy's piercing blue eyes, usually brimming with light and hope, faded to a empty shell. "Ezra..."

The sith stepped forward, towards the conflicted boy, a sense of utmost triumph filling him. Such hate, such power radiated from the boy, so young...

"You see...the dark side brims with such power, such potential for you to expand you abilities. Your master, sees you as weak, unable to hold you own against such power. Look at them." The sith snarled, waving his hand over the Ghost crew. "You may think they see you as one of them, a friend. A son. But, in truth...they fear you. They try to control you power, to conceal you. You are a tool to them! They do not understand the true balance of the force. They conceal the dark side, and bath in the light. Such in not harmony."

Ezra fell to his knees, his chest hurt from the lack of air, his eyes misted and burnt. He winched, his whole body hurt, but his mind felt enriched. He felt fuller, useful and complete. He shook the thought. He didn't...he couldn't **like** the dark side. What would Kanan think of him?! A monster? A sith?

The sith stole another step towards Ezra. "You can sense it. The power, the harmony...the fulfilment. You feel free. You, boy, hold such power inside, one quite advanced for your age. You would be very useful. That is why the rebels contain you, control you! You are a tool for their cause, a weapon..."

"No..." Ezra muttered, his chest stung as he tried to look up at the sith. "T-they don't..."

The sith was standing right in front of him. Instead of facing Ezra, he turned to face the rebels. Sabine pointed her blasters at him, while Zeb juggled his bo-riffle in his other hand, still holding Kanan. "The Rebels...the jedi...both are the same. They chose to turn away from the dark, and embrace the light. They called themselves peace keepers, but struck down those who did not follow them. They grew confident, proud and dishonest. And in turn, they set in course their own destruction."

"Ezra..." Kanan cried, trying to gain his balance, but whimpered at the burning sensation that ran through him. "Don't listen to him!"

The sith ignored Kanan, and turned back to Ezra, kneeling down to the boy and with a gloved hand, held his chin up to face him. "But. You, Ezra Bridger- will follow a different, glorious path. You will turn away from the lies fed to you, and see the truth...just as I did."

"Leave him alone." Sabine snapped, firing a blast at the Sith. He ripped his lightsaber out in a flash, and deflect the shot. The Mandelorian continued to fire at the sith unsuccessfully, until a stray shot hit Ezra. Roaring in pain, the Padawan fell to the ground, gripping his side in dismay as he stared at Sabine, who screamed in horror.

"Ezra!"

He whimpered, his hand tore away from the wound, to find a heavy, red liquid trail down his fingers. " I...I'm so sorry!" She cried. "Oh my...I'm so sorry!"

He stole another look at the group, the sith continued to advance at them. "S-stop...I'll go with you."

The sith froze, turning back to him. "Indeed?"

"Yes...Ah!" He snarled with a nod, gripped his side. "Just don't hurt _her_."

The sith lowered his blade, stealing a glance at the group. They all stared in horror at him, Kanan tried to break out of Zeb's grip. "Kid...no!"

"Ezra..." Sabine gasped, barely a mere whisper. She shook her head, her eyes glued to his wound, which was beginning to ooze blood. His usual cocky grin was replaced by a whithering frown, his skin was growing sickly pale. Her chest grew heavy, her fingers felt numb, unable to pull the trigger of her weapon, in fear of hitting the boy again. "You can't do this, there has to be another wa-"

Ezra stopped her. "No. I can't risk it, the rebellion needs you guys."

"But we need you too!" She protested, shaking her head in disbelief. This couldn't be happening- **it couldn't**. Her mouth felt numb, her lips chapped and useless. _I need you..._ she almost added, but couldn't bounce the words from her tongue. Before she could say another word, Stormtroopers began to flood the screen, footsteps filled the silence.

Ezra flicked his hand. "Go." A stormtrooper grabbed him from behind, pulling him back. He cried out, his wound ripped. He looked at Sabine, his eyes held no reasoning. "Go!"

The incoming reinforcements began to fire at them, making them retreat into the Ghost. Sabine clung to Ezra's eyes, the last sight of him dissolved with the slamming of the latch. The Ghost shook as Sabine just stood, her mind and heart racing, unable to understand how such a mundane, simple mission had turned sour, Ezra's pleads clung to her mind. _Just don't hurt_ _ **her**_.

The growling of the engines shook her from thought, the outside firing clashed against the Ghost's hull, causing her to shift her footing in order not to fall. Hera, who had obviously left Chopper to man the cockpit, rushed passed her with a first aid kit. She gave Sabine a quick, worried glance before rushing up the ladder.

"Sabine!" The comm crackled, pushing her thoughts back. "I need you to man the rear guns, now!" She nodded, looking around as if to see Ezra, giving her a good luck smile, before dashing to his own post, only to find herself alone in the hold.

"Sabine!"

"Coming!" She replied, despite Hera not being able to hear her. For once, in the midst of battle, she wasn't buzzing with excitement. Nor, was ready to blow up some TIE fighters. Instead, she was lost, her mind and heart were battling for supremacy. But, between everything, both her heart and mind agreed on one thing; getting Ezra back. The Ghost's usual vibrant atmosphere which she had learnt to call home, was lacking. Another hit shook the hold, forcing her to move.

Grasping the ladder tightly as she trudged up, her fists were white as she scrambled into her seat, her balance resting on the seat. She felt weak, defenceless to help Ezra and had only managed to shoot him! Shoot him! She tightened her grip.

"Keep it together, Wren." She ordered herself, talking in a light whisper. The Ghost quivered as it rose, the hull groaned as the engines roared to life, firing away from the scene, away from Ezra, followed by a fleet of TIE fighters. Blasting through the atmosphere, the Ghost soared sideways, avoiding the oncoming hoard of TIE's and Star Destroyers. Flicking the controls, her eyes narrowed as she fired at an coming attack, destroying the TIE. The usual approving comment that was come from her come didn't come. No 'Great shot, Sabine!' or 'Hey! Save some for me!' ripped through her concentration silence.

Sabine shook her head, her grip faltered, her hands fell onto her laps. As the Ghost slipped through the cobalt vortex, leaving the Imperial forces in the dust, Sabine sighed. Her mind was in chaos, her imagination already concocted several different torture scenarios for their youngest member. And it had only been less then ten minutes...

"Sabine." Her comm rang. Pressing the button, She was silent for a moment, considering what to say to sooth the pilot. With Ezra kidnapped, and Kanan unconscious, it seemed like the mature thing to do. After a moment, she spoke, with not her most calming, considerate words. She had never been the sensitive type.

"Yeah...?"

The comm buzzed. "We'll get him back."

"I know." She lied, feeling a snag of regret. Despite rescuing Kanan only a couple weeks previous, the Empire had already raised their defences. It would be quite some time before they could stage a possible rescue, never mind a successful one.

"Hera...is he-"

"He'll be fine." The pilot replied all too quickly. It was unlike Hera, who was so inspirational and motherly, to fall sort of the comforting stick. "One we get back to the fleet, Ashoka will have him patched up."

There was silence, the only noise being the cracking of the comm, as if someone was crinkling paper at the other end.

"You weren't talking about Kanan...were you?" Hera asked shyly.

Sabine said nothing, the Twi'lek wasn't stupid. The two teenagers, since Ezra and Zeb had stolen the TIE, had grown considerably close. They were around the same age, and so they understood each other unlike the others, with the lengthy age gap.

Hera sighed, setting the ship to auto pilot. Sabine had always been a difficult, and quite mysterious, subject by herself. She had a thick wall, while not as thick as Ezra's, around herself and her business such as her emotions. She pinched the bridge of her nose, usually Kanan was able to tell when something was amiss with the force, but unfortunately, Hera held no such feelings.

"He'll be fine. We'll get him back."

Sabine wasn't the only one finding it hard to swallow their own lies.

 **Authors Note:** _And so...Our tale begins._

 _Noting that this is my first proper fanfiction, I am anxious for criticism and the sort, so please tell me what you think._

 _This story is a canon divergence, focusing on the first episode of Season 2, with the entry of Darth Vader. Now, seeing that Ezra gained the interest of the Inquisitor from Season 1, and with his powers growing be quite powerful I highly doubt that the Empire, or the Emperor, for the point, would give up on gaining him as a sith. Rather then coax him with power, I would see that he would use Ezra's bond with the Ghost crew against him, and make him exchange himself for their lives. As for calling Vader 'the sith' or 'the man', though it was quite annoying, the Ghost crew do not know who Vader is, only that he is a powerful Dark Lord. This chapter is set before Ashoka learns that Vader is in fact Anakin, and the rest of the episode. The rest of the episode is set in the same motion, minus the addition of Ezra and a few changes. {SPOILERS} Minister Tua still dies, the Empire still burns Ezra's home and the rebels are forced to leave Lothal._

 _Lastly; I hope you enjoy this little story that I have begun to weave and I sincerely hope that no character was OC, but I'm betting Vader, due to his lack of screen time and usual dialogue of heavy breathing filling what ever time he has. Please tell me if you note any mistakes and your impressions and I will be glad to reply, as I wish to advance my writing to the best of my ability._


	2. PROMISE

**[CHAPTER TWO; THE PROMISE]**

 _PREVIOUSLY, ON HOME:_

 _-The Fear. The Anger. The Hate._

 _-"Your master has deceived you..." The figure spoke in a deep, thundering voice. He flicked his fingers slightly, causing Ezra's arm to move up. No matter how hard he tried to resist, he could stop the man from raised his own lightsaber to his throat. "-Into thinking you can become a jedi."_

 _-The padawan's body shook with anger, he panted through gritted teeth, his hair swished gently in an invisible wind._

 _-He whimpered, his hand tore away from the wound, to find a heavy, red liquid trail down his fingers. " I...I'm so sorry!" She cried. "Oh my...I'm so sorry!"_

 _-Ezra flicked his hand. "Go." A stormtrooper grabbed him from behind, pulling him back. He cried out, his wound ripped. He looked at Sabine, his eyes held no reasoning. "Go!"_

 _-Ezra's pleads clung to her mind. 'Just don't hurt **her**.'_

 _-Sabine wasn't the only one finding it hard to swallow their own lies._

A tanned hand stretched out, seeking the usual small form that crawled in with her at around 4:00am, but only found the rough canvas of her bunk. Raine must have gone back to Hera. Oh course, she did. That day wasn't a pleasant day for anyone, and the three year old had sensed it, turning to her mother for answers. It was the day that marked their loss of a member.

Reluctant to abandon her warm shelter, Sabine flicked her blanket from her body, the thin material twisted itself around her in her sleep, acted more of a cocoon then a blanket. Her room, previously bland with the issued standards that connected to the living quarters the crew shared, was vibrant with some of her best murals. Lush fields, scorching deserts and sopping bogs coated the walls, investing the onlooker to other worlds. She had mainly painted them for Raine, the half-human hadn't been allowed to leave the blockade.

A heavy feeling consumed her, dampening the giddy awe that overtook her at the sight of her art, the smell of paint and the tint of metal. That day. Her awe dissolved, replaced by a grim memory of bright, piercing eyes usually so curious, glad to be apart of their mixed family, consumed by fear and sacrifice. Everyday, since that day, she awoke to those eyes, staring at her through the darkness, asking her why she didn't save him, why did they abandon him. She had long gotten used to the broken harmony of the crew, the pain was halved by the arrival of Raine. She had Ezra's eyes.

"Sabine." Her eyes shot up, hazel met emerald green. "It wasn't your fault."

She nodded, her usual reply when ever the ex-jedi tried to sooth her guilty conscience. "I know." It was a practised routine, reviewed every year without any development, or resolve. She couldn't let him go.

"Alright. You hungry?"

She shook her head, instead focusing on stomaching a coffee. The brown, deep mixture swirled in white clouds, dotted the memory of a day of Jedi training, Hera had suggested it due to the weather. It had been at the quake of a heavy rain front, of dark nights when no one could sleep, and wholly depended on coffee, which led Ezra to get stunned. They had laughed, it was so normal. Them, all a happy little family.

Her finger traced the rim of the mug, its body coated in messy hand-prints, Hera didn't want the child's younger years to be a complete military. A lazy smile dusted her lips, remembering exactly what paints of hers were used. They were mainly green prints ...it was the girls favourite colour. The small palm was thin and held a sort of innocent foreign to even a child that age.

"Yeh might want tha' drink it before it's gets cold." A rough, tired voice called out behind her, the Lasat gave her a weak smile, holding his own mug, unlike hers it was blank. Zeb had been fond of the kid, from ruffling his hair, commenting his height or pushing him in training, he had been the one to drag Kanan into the Ghost. Perhaps it had been due to his military days, but instead of mourning him, Zeb took pride in Ezra's sacrifice, showing his true brotherly love for the padawan. Sometimes, a little while after the event, the others had heard sniffling come from the shared bedroom. It had been a sort of silent agreement between the four to never mention it to the Lasat.

"Thanks. I'll give it a try." She chuckled back.

Zeb arched a brow. "Well, You might want the hurry before the squirt comes thunderin' in."

He rarely drank his own coffee, instead focusing on small talk with the Mandelorian a little before 10:00am, to which they would met Ashoka for their mission update. It had become a routine, ever since joining the Alliance.

The women, formally known as Fulcrum, had excluded that certain day for missions for the crew for the past three years. Despite not being that close to the boy, she had understood their pain and had assisted them in tracking any lead they could get, many which ended up being false. Unlike Captain Soko, who only saw the boy as another piece in the war, a lost soldier. Even if he was force-sensitive. Soko had lost his own mother to the Empire, she had been exterminated for his rebellious ways. He hadn't even told her, the troopers just arrived at their small apartment in Corusant and opened fire. A sacrifice didn't stop the blood shed, it only fuelled the Empire's ego. Their ability to steal life, no matter the cost nor the pain left behind. They had murdered Minister Tua due to her reluctant will to kill, and a person like that only made them weak. She died believing she was going to live, that the people she had given her life to would keep their word. That was the only hope in a war.

The clock chimed, indicated it was 10:00am , through instinct, shoved her hand into her pocket, pulling out her datapad. There were few pictures, mainly her art that she wished to save. But of what pictures of them, all of them, smiling and together, were unique. She had memorized the pictures, at every doubt she had turned to them for hope on their youngest member, as if the image held the answers to his fate, and if her still held a pulse. She shook the thought away, plunging the device back into her pocket as the kitchen door slid open, followed by a young, bright eyes Twi'lek with a missing tooth.

Raine didn't appear to have any other genes apart from Twi'lek, but the slight curve of her jaw, the tint of emerald that cut around her iris and her sharp joints, despite her age told different. The young Twi'lek, which she had more of, was very similar to her mother. Her skin was a light, smooth green, like the colour of grass, her tails fell down to her neck and she held them in a black bandanna.

"Mornin'" She mimicked Zeb in a rough voice, smiling at the Lasat as she passed him. "Where's mommy?"

Kanan shrugged his shoulders. "I thought you both got up early to watch the sun rise, you both usually do that." He kissed her on the cheek, causing her to giggle.

" You can't watch the sun rise in space." She informed him in a proud tone, as if she took pride in knowing the fact. "No. She wasn't there when I woke up. So I went back to sleep."

Zeb shook his head, giving her a fake look of disappointment. "Sleeping in...yeh gonna get fat."

"No, I'm not!" Raine protested, stamping her bare foot. She had grown to see both Zeb and Sabine as her uncle and aunt, despite the lack of a bloodline. She often took after Zeb with a quick temper and tendency to fight rather then negotiate, much to Hera's displeasure. The young Twi'lek pouted at Zeb, considering if he was worthy enough for her to sit next to, as she usually did, after such an insult. Trying to remain mad at the Lasat, Raine climbed up onto the stool beside him, her gaze not meeting his as Kanan prepared her breakfast. She instead focused at Sabine, who had snuck her datapad back out into a hard grip and was gazing at a picture taken after Kanan's rescue from the Empire. Catching the little girl in the corner of her eyes, Sabine bent her back to show her the picture.

"Whoa...Daddy, you used to be young!" She gave her father a toothy grin, while Sabine tried to avoid the Jedi's stern glare as he mixed the thick, powdery mixture, sniffling her laughter along with Zeb.

Raine gazed at the familiar picture, most of them from were very similar, but this one held one difference from the others she had sneaked a look at. "Who's that?" She inquisited, pointed to the young boy in the picture with a cat-like scar on his cheek.

"T-that's..." Sabine began, she tried to swallow a dry breath. It was as if someone was crushing her windpipe.

Kanan cast a eye over at the two, sensing Sabine's discomfort. "That's Ezra. My padawan."

"Padawan? So you were a teacher?"

Kanan winched. "Not exactly. Uh..." He paused, planning his words carefully. "- you know how daddy can lift stuff without touching it?"

Raine nodded. She knew what the force was, but the description confused her, how could the galaxy be held by something they couldn't see? And how could you tell that there was an actual force?

"Uh huh! Your a jedi!"

Zeb chuckled at the child's enthusiasm. "Yeh, 'cept Jedi weren't allowed to have kids..."

"Huh?"

"Zeb, Shush." Kanan growled at the Lasat, who quickly returned to his coffee with a silent frown, but she knew it was fake as the corners of his mouth pierced his furred cheeks when Kanan looked away.

Raine leaned closer to Sabine, smiling at the attention she was receiving. "So what happened to him? Nobody ever mentions him...Did he get sad and leave?"

"It's...complicated." Kanan spoke calmly, despite noticing Sabine distancing herself from the conversation, a red tint began to travel up her neck and cheeks. "-Lets just say, he had to go somewhere. Somewhere _really_ important before you were born."

Raine seemed content with the answer, but dove more. "When will he come back?"

"I don't know, sweetheart. He mightn't." Kanan sighed. "But he was a very brave boy, and very powerful in the force. He was a hero..."

Sabine shoved her datapad back into her pocket. "- He is." She insisted.

The kitchen was silent, the only sound was the gentle hum of the kettle. Deciding to abandon the thought of breakfast as well as the conversation, which threw her stomach into chaos, Sabine slipped from her stool, her bones cracked from sitting too long as she manoeuvred around the heating battle that had once again restarted between the Zeb and Raine, spilling the beverage into the sink, and gave a grateful nod to Kanan as he failed to wrangle Raine away from Zeb, who had almost fallen off of his seat from the vicious attack. The girl was a warrior at heart.

"Well..." Sabine intervened in the silence, except for the muttering of Kanan as he wrapped his arms around his daughter in a fruitless attempt to separate her from the Lasat . "I think I leave you guys to it, have fun." Grasping the doorway, she cast a look back at Kanan, who nodded back at her, his lips pursed. He smiled weakly at her, struggling with Raine who had a passion to attack Zeb, who had brought up another wrong subject in order to change the conversation. The child was a warrior at heart, which seemed so strange, looking at her calm, negotiating parents. She had truly spent too much time around Zeb and Chopper.

Just as she turned on her heel, heading back into the hallway that connected each room of the small apartment, she found herself crashing against the wall as Chopper came soaring past her, beeping a combination of words she was glad Raine couldn't understand, shaking her head as it followed with a buzz. Winching, Sabine rolled her eyes as two screams, mixed with the distorted, robotic laughter came from the room, the door of which burst open seconds later as both Raine and Zeb came scrambling after the droid. As the two turned the corner, leaving the apartment, Sabine could have sworn she saw a flick of dark blue hair, a rough laugh as a young boy chased after the droid, right on Zeb's heels. She felt her grin grow weak, her emotions taking her as she slipped into her room, sliding the door shut as she leaned against it, not sure if her legs could support her.

She struggled to breath, a burning sensation ran through her chest with a sigh. Whimpering, she stood against the door, piercing blue eyes flashed through her minds eye. "Stop it..." She shook her head, snapping her eyes open. The chase was only a distant hum now, but the memory still clung to her mind, fresh and clear. It was what could have been...or what never should have.

"Why can't I let you go...?" She asked the air with a sigh, covering her face with her hands. A heavy feeling filled her stomach, the taste of vomit threatened to surface.

She shook her head, raising it high. She would not cry. To cry, would be classed as mourning and she had not resorted to that. She would find Ezra, even if it took decades. She would learn what happened to him, and make sure he was avenged.

Stealing a step forward, Sabine winched at the pain that ran though her leg, giving her a curiosity as to how long she had been standing, tossing her memories of a boy long gone around her mind. It had felt like eternity, but was probably only a couple of minutes. Feeling the strain of the fall she had gained on their last mission, which had only finished late into the previous night, Sabine stretched her legs, her pyjamas clung to her body that consisted of sweatpants and a loose vest felt heavier then battle armour. Falling into a poor stance on her bed, Sabine groaned as she felt something underneath her, shoving her hand under the bundle of blankets that she had left untidily, only to find her paint sprayer. A smile dusted her lips, the thin tool was slick in her hand and had grown to be like an extra appendage. Sitting upward, she analysed the tool, her fingers slid along the handle and trigger, her eyes closed as she carved an image into her mind, one to express her emotions of conflict and chaos. Her grin grew.

Her eyes shot up, the spare few inches of blank space that she had been saving came to mind, her body was already in motion by shooting up from the bed, ignoring he cries from her muscles, as her hand slid across the space. It was perfect.

Now...what to paint? She licked her lips, her mind thirsty for inspiration. What hadn't she shown Raine? Indulging the child in the beauty of other worlds was her instinct, having been stuck on the ship her whole life due to Hera's protective nature had taken its toll on her and as her conspiratorial aunt, it was her sworn duty to educate her in anyway she could manage without breaking Hera's rules.

Her eyes skimmed her previous pieces, drinking in the dunes of the many desert worlds, to the tranquil wildlife of reserved forest, to which monster hid in their shadowed depths and the misted bogs that large fish would swallow a ship whole if it flew low enough. All of which showed the mixtures of vast natures roots.

Sabine felt her heart beat quicken, a sudden slam of inspiration filtered through her memory, purging her of her previous sadness as she snatched up her other paints and began. Her tools hummed as she worked, a song from her childhood bounced on her tongue, her lips curved as she allowed her mind to guild the sprayer. As she applied the top coat, narrowing her eyes for a distinctive shadow that split the art piece from the overhead light, she stepped back.

As she stole a proud gaze at the piece, flicking her fringe behind her ear, she suddenly felt a pang of guilt clench her stomach. Her grin shrunk, being replaced by a horrified frown as her hand fell to her side, numb.

 _'Stand up, together. 'Cause that's when we're strongest- As one.'_

The piece was of the Empire symbol. But, cracking the mark, a deep blue phoenix, the sign of the rebellion and her personal mark, smashed out of the symbol, cutting it in half. The edges of the phoenix, dusted in a dirt orange, was on fire. The sides of the Empire symbol closest to the phoenix, were melting into a slimy grey colour.

She wasn't sure how to react. Should she cherish such a piece, detailing how through Ezra's inspiring speech, he had empowered many of those who hid in fear of the Empire's iron fist, as well as gained the attention from the Alliance that in turn saved them from the Empire? It felt like Ezra's final sign, shattering the tyranny of the emperor, but in turn leaded to his capture. Similar to his parents, he had sacrificed himself so that they may give the galaxy a chance of freedom, despite his unfair past and dark childhood on the streets, he had given himself over to those who had destroyed his life- killed his parents?

He had given them a chance at righting the wrongs of the past. He had given himself over, in turn allowing Raine to be born. He had given himself over...for her.

 _Don't hurt **her**. _ His last plea echoed through her mind, carved into her memory in such detail, as if she could reach out for him. But...she could never save him. She had been a coward, in his greatest hour, she had retreated. She didn't deserve to be alive, while Ezra, may not.

 **He is Alive**

She wasn't quite sure where she had gotten such a statement, but something clicked with it. It fitted with the story. Ezra, and death just refused to stand in the same sentence in her mind. Despite what others said, she knew he was waiting, somewhere, for her to save. The piercing look in his eyes, so full of fear and sadness, clung to the hope that he had been known to protest. He was waiting. And she would save him.

She had too. She would never stop looking, in that moment, it was the greatest promise she could give to Ezra. Where ever he was...

Authors note: Thank you all for such inspiring comebacks! I am thrilled to find that you are enjoying this little story.

As for the next chapter, I have been focusing my time into updating but have found a struggle in deciding the pace along with a bad case of Writer's block. And so, as I am not allowed on the internet constantly, i will try to update as soon as possible.


	3. THE CALL

**[CHAPTER THREE; THE CALL]**

PREVIOUSLY ON HOME:

 _-"Sabine." Her eyes shot up, hazel met emerald green. "It wasn't your fault."_

 _-The women, formally known as Fulcrum, had excluded that certain day for missions for the crew for the past three years._

 _-She shook the thought away, plunging the device back into her pocket as the kitchen door slid open, followed by a young, bright eyes Twi'lek with a missing tooth._

 _-"Who's that?" She inquisited, pointed to the young boy in the picture with a cat-like scar on his cheek._

 _-"I don't know, sweetheart. He mightn't." Kanan sighed. "But he was a very brave boy, and very powerful in the force. He was a hero..."_

 _-The piece was of the Empire symbol. But, cracking the mark, a deep blue phoenix, the sign of the rebellion and her personal mark, smashed out of the symbol, cutting it in half. The edges of the phoenix, dusted in a dirt orange, was on fire. The sides of the Empire symbol closest to the phoenix, were melting into a slimy grey colour._

 _-He was waiting. And she would save him._

The rest of the morning was rather mundane, minus the exception of Hera who had failed to show up to breakfast. This did not sit well with Raine, who with a strong bond to her mother, hadn't quite grasped the example of personal space and it resulted in a dampened mood that eventually affected the other crew members, who were irritated by the young girls wave of questions.

"So she said nothing last night? Nothing to hint why she might not be here?" Raine inquisited, gripped Kanan's arm.

The ex-jedi groaned, trying to contain his emotions from the child with a forced smile. "No, sweetheart. But I'm sure that your mother has her reasons."

"-She better." Zeb growled, glancing down with a growl at Raine. The young Twi'lek frowned, not understanding her growing annoyance towards the other three. "Or this crew will be down one..."

He was silenced by Kanan's stern glare, who returned his attention to Raine. The child had been quite a handful, along with their constant searches for Ezra, and the crew hadn't had a peaceful night for quite sometime, which was beginning to take it toll on them all. But mainly towards Zeb, who had a harder time not insulting the child and in turn, digging a deeper hole.

"Anyway." Sabine sighed, pressing for a new subject to spring forward. " Kanan, I hear that you and Ashoka have been practising. Gonna get back into the field?"

Kanan shook his head, smiling at the Mandelorian with gratitude. "No, I just assumed that since I have gotten back into my Jedihood, I might as well prime my skills. You won't ever know..."

"Yeah, well." Zeb groaned, stretching his arms out behind his head. "I wouldn't mind gettin' back to smashing some bucketheads. Mah fists have been dying for some real fun."

Sabine nodded. "Yeah, then maybe we can have one good night sleep without you and chopper trying to kill each other."

The Lasat seemed conflicted with the idea. It wasn't his fault that the damn droid didn't know how to pick his battles, or that while he enjoyed shocking people that actually needed sleep, while he could just plug himself in. One of those days, he was chuck the switched off droid out of the hold while in hyper drive and regret nothing. He may have a pissed Twi'lek and ex-jedi on his hands, but Raine would certainly side with him. She despised the droid with a passion, and his emotions almost rimmed a sense of pride.

"That would be nice." Kanan sighed blissfully. His old green tunic was replaced by a grey shirt, and his armour was nowhere to be seen. "It would be nice to have the place quiet for once."

"Agreed. Then maybe for once I won't find a whole, perfectly good tub of paint spilt over the cockpit." She arched her brow at Zeb, who whistled absently.

Raine grinned at the three, enjoy the calm feeling of the conversation, unaware of the growing tension between her unrelated aunt and uncle. She swung her hands at her sides, her eyes expressed amazement at the ongoing ship repairs, missions and events that dragged through the ship. The continuous excitement was lacking a sense as it never seemed to include her. Even with her family's involvement in the Alliance, it had grown to a chore for her to stay in the safety of their apartment, never allowed to join in the adventures. Many times had she woken up to find her family gone on a mission run and only secured her information by her security with Ashoka, who always seemed to treat her like half her age. But, even in her loneliest times, her mind talker was always waiting, always interested in her daily events. Despite never meeting him outside of his voice, she had developed a deep bond with the man. But she had never dared tell anyone, even her parents.

"Do you think mommy had a special mission?"

Kanan shook his head. "No, She would have told us. I'm telling you, your mother is fine. She probably just got sidetracked or something."

"But she always wakes me up, it's our thing." Raine protested, her mouth growing into a frown at the thought of her lost mother. "That and her breakfasts are nicer."

Kanan arched a brow, his grin grew."Oh! Is that so?"

"Uh huh. I don't know why though."

Zeb snorted, shaking his head at Kanan. "I tell yeh..."

"Tell me what?" Raine's voice pitched. "What?"

Sabine couldn't help but smirk at the young girl, oblivious to their teasing. For such an age, she was a wild, free-spirited girl with self reassurance and talent in droid mechanics. Her love for machines had definitely come from Hera, while Kanan, could barely stomach Chopper on a good day. The little droid had chosen the man as his third victim, in the lacking of Zeb or Raine. He held a higher respect for the women, mainly due to the fact that he actually cared for Hera and if he messed with Sabine, he would be painted pink. It was truly a love-hate relationship.

"Oh..." Zeb shook his head, failing to hide his grin, which was growing by the minute. "Ah' don't think your ready to know yet."

Raine glared at him, her face crumpled with a redness seeping up from her cheeks. "Know what?" Her voice cracked. She could only stare in confusion as Zeb laughed, while Kanan just shook his head in dismay, praying for no public brawls.

Sabine rolled her eyes, pressing forward in quick, stern steps that held no doubt that she was searching for something to do. Her mind, unconsciously, began to wander back towards her mural and whatever hidden force had pressed her to attempt such a piece. It still remained in the shadow her locked room, hidden away, her heart unable to wash it away in hope of luring news of Ezra.

Such a piece, a statement of such her beliefs of their lost member. Could he truly still be alive, after four years under the fist of the Empire? Had they tortured him? Pressed pain that broke his body and mind, demanding for answers he didn't have? From what Kanan had told them, the Empire's torture methods did not just reside on physical. Had he given in? Broken down into a fit of hollowed screams and empty hope? The statement of Darth Vader, the dark sith lord that had taken him, came to her mind. Despite the events long pressed in memory, his grim, disturbing words still clung to her memory. His husky, deep breathing that crept in the darkness of her nightmares, his sharp, scarlet blade that could easily cut through metal, never mind flesh. Sweating, tanned flesh that shook at every breath, that stretched as every scream ripped through his throat; ' _Your mother lasted for quite some time, even longer then your father. But, in the end, she was not going to last'._

Had such a fate taken their son? A cruel, twisted fate that tore every shred of humanity from his scarred body, leaving behind a rough, empty shell of the once curious, generous and kind boy that had be hardened by such persecutors injustice and crimes?

The Empire would have projected such information, into a grim and horrifying example that even to someone so young, so pure and helpless, that if they were a rebel, they would share his fate. So, with the latter scraped, she felt it right in her gut to believe Ezra to still be alive, fighting against the Empire, praying for them to carry on, the find him and save him. He knew that they would never give up on him, it was a silent oath of the crew, no...family, to always be there for one another and to protect them.

"Auntie Sabine." Raine pleaded with a irritated frown, her forehead crinkled, similar to Hera. "Make them tell me!"

Sabine smiled weakly at the child, her large, pale blue eyes tinkled with a gleam that didn't belong in war, the gleam that Hera had been trying to protect. "Sorry kid."

Raine sighed as her aunt figure shrugged her shoulders, her small body raced to her side. "What's wrong? You seem sad."

"I'm not sad." Sabine protested, pursing her lips as she stole a breath. "Just thinking."

"About what?"

She glanced at the young girl who stared back in patience for an answer. "Nothing. You don't have to worry, I'm fine."

Sabine felt a small hand curl around her own, a small weight held her next step, pouting with concern. "Tell me the truth."

"I-" Sabine began, but found herself blank for words. She held no excuse for the child, who at such an age, should be worrying about simple, mundane things like a normal kid, instead of praying at every mission that her family would come back, alive. Despite her fast temper and inquisitive nature, she had always seemed to forget that while she was a strong young girl, Raine was exactly that. A young girl.

"I'm fine, really." The child didn't seem content with the answer, but before she could protest, a tanned, long hand brushed over her head gently, marking her bandanna with movement fuzz.

"Come on, kid. Your mother just contacted me." He hoisted her into her arms, her legs clung of his hips as his hand stroked her head. "She said that one of the rebel cells were attacked."

Sabine arched an eyebrow, still shaken by her niece's burning stare. "So...?"

"She didn't tell me much, only to hurry to the meeting room. She said that cell had almost been exterminated entirely, by..." He stopped, his gaze fell heavy.

"Daddy?"

Kanan sighed, "-By three Inquisitors."

Sabine felt her stomach flip, her memory drew back to the mural. The vibrant explosion that cracked and split into the embers of the Empire. But, the smoke was scattering and from the ashes, and even hotter fire had been lit. And even with only a single match, a explosion had begun. The flames had sparked, and she felt a dreading feeling that somewhere, someone **was** going to get burnt.

Someone very important.

AUTHORS NOTE: _Well, this chapter took the fight in me. It was a painstaking process on deciding to rather skip this chapter, or to leave the little family fluff calm before the storm, the actual story is going to start off very soon. This little chapter may seem pointless and I'm sorry for that. but it had introduced the mindset of Raine, who I'm beginning to love. I have been desperately trying to make her like her parents but an individual as well. Not an easy progress._


	4. THE TWELFTH BROTHER

_**A/N: So... to be completely honest I forgot about this story. I've been doing some fanfics on AO3 on other fandoms and I only recently found this chapter on my laptop, but some people like this and I am fond of this story so I'll try to continue for those slim few! Sorry for the lateness, this be a short one lads!**_

* * *

 **[CHAPTER FOUR; THE TWELFTH BROTHER]**

The Ninth Sister narrowed her eyes, clenching her fist. "Don't challenge me."

"Oh! I wouldn't dream of it."

Both inquisitors continued to glare at one another, the heavy scent of blood soaked the air, created a sort of toxic fumes that stank through the floors. The coldness in the air collected together in the higher levels of the ship, the feeble grunts and cries of the man that laid before the two, his hair clinging to his forehead and his silver uniform matted with crimson liquids seeping from his side and his left temple, grew huskier.

The Fourteenth Brother looked onward, his breathing was slow and made little sound. Amber orbs crept slowly over the dull, groaning walls that scorched with long ridges, stretching across the sides of the hallway. He could sense the stirring remaining crew several floors down, their heartbeats strained through the force like sirens.

"So." The Nineth Sister began, licking her lips as she stared down at the pathetic excuse of a man before her. She arched a brow, her lekku swung softly. They matched the liquid the man was desperately attempting to keep from leaking further onto the floor. "Tell me dear – how long until your allies come galloping in? I do like to keep these things on a... _tight_ schedule." She grinned viciously, crouching down beside him.

The man spluttered, saliva tinted red leaked down the corner of his mouth as he tore his head out of the Twi-lek's grip, scoffing before erupting back into a coughing fit. The Ninth Sister sneered in disgust, snatching her hand away before rising to her feet.

"Aren't you a charmer – "

She silenced the Twelfth Brother before he could continue, glaring at him with a burning hatred before snapping back at the fallen man, whom was clearly struggling to hold consciousness. Her lip curled as she drew her hand along her hip, curling her fingers along the hilt slotted into her belt. The man squirmed, gasping as he shifted his back against the wall. "I suppose you know what this is... _good_."

A moment past, her knees buckled as she crouched before the man once more. She chuckled softly, watching in what could only be assumed as hungrily as he panted before her, fighting to move away. A gloved hand curled around his chin, wiping a trail of blood away with her thumb, the man frozen in place as he watched.

"Find the remaining survivors." She ordered after a moment, removing her hand from the man before returning to her feet. "This poor excuse for a soldier knows nothing... waste, _hmm_?"

The Fourteenth Brother lingered for a moment, shifting on the spot in order to allow the Twelfth Brother to pass. "Where shall we bring them to?"

" _Bring_ them...?" The Ninth Sister snarled, snapping her wrist out and allow her hilt to fly into her open hand, pointing out away from her side as the crimson blade ignited with a chuckle. " – did I say you were to spare them?"

She swung her blade out, meeting the man's throat. The Twelfth Brother turned away as the hall filled with silence.

"Yes...Ma'am."

* * *

 _ **A/N: Aye, this is a short chapter but it's started to introduce these Inquisitors (that aren't canon, I just made them up). I began this before we met the Seventh Sister and Eighth Brother (Clyde) and the whole Malachor thing happened so consider this a canon divergence since Ashoka is still alive and Kanan isn't blind (basically Season 2/3 doesn't exist). I'll probably bring in 9th and 8th later but for now I want to develop these two since the show didn't give us a lot on the actually inquisitors other than being incompetent.**_


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